Drug habits on the rise

BANGKOK: -- The number of drug addicts will soar to 470,000 by the end of the year, a big annual rise.

Medical Services deputy directorgeneral Dr Boonreun Triruenworarat says the latest review shows that 376,000 of this number are new addicts.

Of these, 65 per cent is aged between 15 and 24.

Methamphetamine is the most common addiction, followed by marijuana and alcohol.

Boonreun says the government is failing to control drug dealers, particularly among youth.

The number of addicts is increasing drastically from 320,000 people in 2003 to 470,000 by the end of the year.

-- The Nation 2008-07-14

Further evidence that the government has been so distracted with constitutional amendments, attending to various court dates for themselves, mismanaging the economy, and general uselessness.... that they've been too pre-occupied to initiate a sustained mass slaughter in Drug Wars 5, despite all the ballyhoo they created with it months ago.

Drug habits on the rise

BANGKOK: -- The number of drug addicts will soar to 470,000 by the end of the year, a big annual rise.

I guess that's the number for pattaya only.

Drug habits on the rise

BANGKOK: -- The number of drug addicts will soar to 470,000 by the end of the year, a big annual rise.

Medical Services deputy directorgeneral Dr Boonreun Triruenworarat says the latest review shows that 376,000 of this number are new addicts.

Of these, 65 per cent is aged between 15 and 24.

Methamphetamine is the most common addiction, followed by marijuana and alcohol.

Boonreun says the government is failing to control drug dealers, particularly among youth.

The number of addicts is increasing drastically from 320,000 people in 2003 to 470,000 by the end of the year.

-- The Nation 2008-07-14

More people to kill ?

Drug habits on the rise

BANGKOK: -- The number of drug addicts will soar to 470,000 by the end of the year, a big annual rise.

Medical Services deputy directorgeneral Dr Boonreun Triruenworarat says the latest review shows that 376,000 of this number are new addicts.

Of these, 65 per cent is aged between 15 and 24.

Methamphetamine is the most common addiction, followed by marijuana and alcohol.

Boonreun says the government is failing to control drug dealers, particularly among youth.

The number of addicts is increasing drastically from 320,000 people in 2003 to 470,000 by the end of the year.

-- The Nation 2008-07-14

If they are including alchohol addiction then I'm surprised that the figures are so low.

First, they might want to learn the difference between addiction and abuse. I highly doubt that these are all addicted people, but I don't doubt there is that much abuse.

It really doesn't matter too much though since when they start "culling" them, it might be similar to chickens during a bird flu outbreak.

Are beetlenut chewers included in these figures?

Drug habits on the rise

BANGKOK: -- The number of drug addicts will soar to 470,000 by the end of the year, a big annual rise.

Now whom to blame. Takhsin or the coup-government...the PAD and Demorcats will blame the former

As previously posted, the blame rests clearly on the current government. When they announced Drug Wars 5 it was time for optimism. Yet when they failed to deliver the results of the promised and expected butchering, it all went downhill. If they could only lay off saving Thaksin for just one week and re-focused their attention back on the hit squads, I'm sure they could take out 10 or 20 percent of these dregs of society. A drop of 20% would mean 94,000 people could be skimmed right off the top of this unacceptable number.

The resultant funeral costs alone could be coordinated under a governmental mega-project and turn this economy around.

off topic posts have been deleted, we are discussing Thailand here.

Further evidence that the government has been so distracted with constitutional amendments, attending to various court dates for themselves, mismanaging the economy, and general uselessness.... that they've been too pre-occupied to initiate a sustained mass slaughter in Drug Wars 5, despite all the ballyhoo they created with it months ago.

It's sure the PAD and other street hooligans definitely helped the government to focus on their day-to-day business.

Knowing that most of the farangs who support the PAD are from the KSR liberal leagues and well known heavy drug users, really explains a lot why they oppose so vehemently the war against drugs.

Thats quite an offensive assumption there Pierrot. Perhaps one best qualified.

Methamphetamine is the most common addiction, followed by marijuana and alcohol.

Marijuana may be classed as a non addictive drug.

I am not condoning its use.

There is also an increase in the production of opium in the north from 700rai to 1200 considering that Burma produces 100000-250000 rai it is miniscule.

As the economy contracts there will be an enormous increase in the use of illicit drugs. This in turn will bring the poor unfortunate Farang into more conflict with burglaries and theft.

Is this another case of shoddy reporting or translation or an example of the poor analytical skills that distinguishes the health ministry?

Drug habits on the rise

BANGKOK: -- The ESTIMATED number of drug addicts will soar to 470,000 by the end of the year, a big annual rise. To the best of my knowledge, there has been no concerted attempt to measure the number. There have been population sample estimates.

Medical Services deputy directorgeneral Dr Boonreun Triruenworarat says the latest review shows that 376,000 of this number are new addicts. So does this mean that the current number of drug addicts is 14,000? (400,000 -376,000) I don't think so.

Of these, 65 per cent is aged between 15 and 24. Again another estimate. But hey, why bother with accuracy when the numbers are unsubstantiated to begin with.

Methamphetamine is the most common addiction, followed by marijuana and alcohol. Marijuana addiction? Please. Forgive me if I think some junior decided to have fun with an undergrad modeling method experiment. Where is heroin? Not a mention. Somewhat surprising since the HIV indicators go hand in hand with IV drug use and there is an upward surge of expected new diagnoses of HIV.

Boonreun says the government is failing to control drug dealers, particularly among youth.

The number of addicts is increasing drastically from 320,000 people in 2003 to 470,000 by the end of the year. This contradicts the above estimate. C'mon boys make up your minds on what numbers to play with.

In fairness to the Ministry, I have a hunch that maybe the reporter and the translator may have been sleeping at the news conference or else just didn't pay attention.

How can anyone take the Nation seriously?

Knowing that most of the farangs who support the PAD are from the KSR liberal leagues and well known heavy drug users, really explains a lot why they oppose so vehemently the war against drugs.

Yes Pierrot - I vehemently oppose the war against drugs because I am a well known heavy drug using farang from the KSR liberal leagues who supports the PAD.

NOW COME IN AND GET ME COPPERS!

Thats quite an offensive assumption there Pierrot. Perhaps one best qualified.

Indeed, it's just another unsubstantiated retaliatory absurdity.

Agree my post is at best "unsubstantiated",

Please let me plead temporary insanity based on the time this post was written.

On the other hand, when I "substantiate" my post, I get censored for flaming.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't ...

Well, maybe the forum software should automaticaly add "this message might appear insane in the morning" to late night posts.

Hope you insanity didn't last long, Pierrot.